Searching
by Summers-HOT
Summary: Ripplepelt, a CreekClan warrior, notices weird things happening to her clan and wants to find out more about some strange disappearances, especially because one of the missing cats is her kin. Rated T for some violence in the book
1. Allegiances

**Allegiances**

_**CreekClan**_

**Leader: Redstar- dark ginger, almost red tom**

**Deputy: Snowtail- light grey tom **

**Medicine Cat: Smokefoot- black she-cat **

**Warriors:**

**Tansyfrost- light tortoiseshell she-cat**

**Firecloud- dark ginger tom**

**Gingerpatch- light ginger and white she-cat**

**Whitepelt- pure white tom**

**Rainfern- silver tabby she-cat**

**Lilypelt- brown and white she-cat**

**Blossomstripe- brown tabby she-cat**

**Dustheart- tan tabby tom**

**Ripplepelt- grey tabby she-cat **

**Stripedclaw- Brown tabby tom**

**Ashfall- dark grey tom**

**Creekheart- golden spotted she-cat**

**Nightslash- pitch black tom**

**Pantherwing- black and white tom**

**Apprentices:**

**Fieldpaw- light brown tom**

**Applepaw- brown and white she-cat **

**Wolfpaw- dark brown tabby tom with a white streak across chest**

**Queens:**

**Brambleheart- Tortoiseshell she-cat (expecting)**

**Goldenface- light golden she-cat (mother of brindlekit)**

**Elders:**

**Blind-Eye- old blinded tom **

**Half-Foot- oldest tom in CreekClan, lost his back to badger **

**Blackleg- old CreekClan deputy; black tom **


	2. Chapter One

Searching

Chapter One

A grey tabby she-cat watched in silence as a mouse made it's way closer to her.  
The mouse got on its hindpaws and just as Ripplepeltleaped it ran under a tree stump.  
"Mouse-dung!" She hissed angrily.

A young golden spotted she-cat padded up and purred. "It was just a mouse, there  
are plenty more."

Ripplepelt shrugged. "You never know if its the last one in the forest or not, Creekheart."  
She meowed.

Creekheart had been den mates with Ripplepelt ever since they were kits. They were  
born one moon apart from each other. The spotted she-cat pointed her tail towards 3 or 4  
mice scuffling for food. "I think I know," she twitched her whiskers. "Oh and congratulations  
to Snowtail, I bet your proud of your brother."

Ripplepelt nodded her head. "I'm very proud of him, I think her deserves it too," she  
meowed.

Creekheart nodded. "He's already had an apprentice, which is surprising. What was  
his name again?"

Ripplepelt flicked her tail. "His name is Mouseleg now," she purred. She looked at Creekheart.

Creekheart looked down at her paws and shuffled them around. "Right... I knew that, I did  
really!" She meowed embarrassed.

Ripplepelt stretched and yawned. "Maybe we should get back to camp, they would be looking  
for us, we've been gone for a while now."

Creekheart nodded her head. "I'll follow your lead," she mumbled, still wondering how she  
couldn't remember Mouseleg's name.

Ripplepelt padded through the forest looking at the leafy trees and looked over to her right  
to see the large river flowing smoothly over big rocks and pebbles. "I'm so glad it's Green-  
Leaf. Last Leaf-Bare Raintail lost her two kits to cold and sickness..."

Creekheart followed closely beside Ripplepelt. "Mosskit and Silverkit," she murmured.  
"I remember those two, they were such playful and rambunctious kits, always getting  
into troube."

Ripplepelt sighed. "I hope Brambleheart's kits will be okay when they arrive. Its her and  
Whitecreek's first litter of kits and I don't want their first litter to be sad, I want it to be  
memorable."

As the two she-cats continued forward a large bramble thicket appeared and Ripplepelt  
smiled. She saw some cats padding back into the camp with prey and liked having so  
many cats in her clan to keep her company. Her mother died when they were born  
and her father had died the day of her apprentice ceremony.

Creekheart ran forward. "I'm going to see Brindlekit and Goldenface in the nursery!  
Its been forever since I saw them!" Goldenface was Spottedheart's sister and Ashfall,  
who is Goldenface's mate, was Ripplepelt's brother so Brindlekit was both Spottedheart  
and Ripplepelt's kin.

Ripplepelt waved her tail in good-bye and padded into the CreekClan camp. She was  
exaughisted from trying to hunt and didn't bother bringing back the fresh-kill she  
killed. She looked at the cats who were in the clearing of camp and noticed Snowtail's  
light grey pelt mingled with Redstar's almost red pelt. She decided to go and talk to  
them. She padded over to her brother.

The light grey tom smiled as Ripplepelt made her way over to him. "Hey Ripplepelt!  
What are you doing?"

Ripplepelt shrugged. "I just wanted to check in on my brother! Oh and Creekheart  
says congratulations on being deputy, she just went to check in with the nursery  
so I just wanted to let you know," she murmured.

Snowtail smiled. "That's nice of her. Well I have to go organize border and  
hunting patrols." He dipped his head to Redstar and padded away to a group  
of warriors.

Redstar twitched his ears. "A wise cat he is for a young one... I'm glad he's  
my new deputy. Though we will miss Blackleg, he is far to old to continue  
any deputy duties.

Ripplepelt nodded in agreement. "I think that Smokefoot even said he was  
failing his hearing." She turned to look at the elders den and saw Blackleg  
laying on his side all stretched out.

Redstar looked at him too. "T'wont be long before StarClan claims him  
for the ranks of StarClan."

The gray tabby she-cat thought about the old black tom dead, unmoving,  
not breathing. She shivered. "I don't like thinking about clan mates dying,"  
she murmured quietly.

Redstar smiled trying to comfort Ripplepelt. "No one ever does Ripplepelt,  
no one. Besides Dark Forest of course."

The she-cat glanced at Redstar with a questioning gaze. "Why mention  
Dark Forest Redstar," she asked nervously.

Redstar shrugged. "It just comes to mind when we talking about  
death," he murmured. The leader looked around. "I'm going to  
check in with Snowtail, but I am pretty sure things are just fine..."

Ripplepelt dipped her head and watched him pad over to Snowtail.  
Still confused about why he mentioned Dark Forest, she padded  
over to the fresh kill pile and waited for her apprentice to wake  
up and get ready for training.

A small bundle of ragged fur padded out of the apprentices den.  
He shook his head and drowsily made his way over to Ripplepelt.

Ripplepelt smiled. "Good morning Wolfpaw, are you ready to begin  
training?" She asked him.

Wolfpaw shrugged. "I have a belly ache and was wondering if I can  
see Smokefoot." He groaned.

Ripplepelt's smiled turned into a frown. "Okay, make sure you get  
some rest and maybe tomorrow we will train," she murmured.

Wolfpaw smiled weakly. "Thanks Ripplepelt..." He padded off  
towards the medicine cat den.

The grey she-cat sighed and padded to the middle of the clearing  
and flopped down and groomed her fur.

A black and white tom padded over to her. "Hi Ripplepelt," he  
purred.

Ripplepelt twitched her ears and smiled. "Hey Pantherwing!  
What have you been up to?"

Pantherwing laid down next to Ripplepelt. "Well, I went hunting,  
I also went on border patrol... WinterClan has been crossing our  
borders. I thought I saw Blueclaw, but I have no idea."

Ripplepelt shook her head. "They thing they're kings of the forest."  
She looked at Pantherwing. "They need to be put back into their  
place," she growled.

Pantherwing nodded his agreement. "Do you want me to show you  
where I saw him, and check it out?"

Ripplepelt got up and shook her fur getting the dirt and dust out of  
it. "Sure! That'd be cool," she meowed. She looked at the camp and  
saw lots of warriors roaming about. She also saw Brambleheart relax-  
ing in the sunlight, her belly swollen with kits. "I don't think they will  
be needing us with all the extra paws around here..."

Pantherwing yawned. "Alright then, lets head out," he meowed. He got  
up onto his paws and ran off towards the opening in the brambles.

Ripplepelt bolted after him, enjoying the breeze that ran through her long  
fur. She didn't realize that she wasn't following Pantherwing anymore until  
she heard a loud screech followed by yowling. Ripplepelt skidded to a halt  
and stumbled clumsily. She looked in the direction from where the yowling  
came from and crept into some bushes in front of her. She peered out of  
some prickly leaves and branches to see what was going on.

A large blueish gray furred tom was slowly making his way over to the  
WinterClan border.

Ripplepelt rushed out of the bushes and leaped onto the tom making him  
fall under her weight. She saw the tom's face and she growled. "BLUECLAW!  
What in StarClan are you doing on our territory?"

Blueclaw chuckled. "You'll find out sooner or later." Blueclaw used his back-legs  
to throw Ripplepelt off of him. "As a matter of fact, your whole clan will," he  
chuckled some more. He ran across the border and left Ripplepelt lying on  
the forest floor with blood trickling down her face.


	3. Chapter Two

Searching

Chapter Two

Ripplepelt slowly opened her eyes to see the inside of the medicine cat  
den and Smokefoot padding towards her.

"How are you feeling," the medicine cat meowed, worry clouding in her  
eyes. She sat down next to Ripplepelt.

Ripplepelt blinked. "My head hurts," she groaned, miserably.

Smokefoot nosed forward a ball of water soaked moss. "Pantherwing bro-  
ught you to my den, says you were laying on the forest floor unconscious...  
would you mind telling me what happened?"

The she-cat lapped up a little bit of water. "I was f-following Pantherwing  
into the forest... I remember hearing yowls and screeching, so I went to  
check it out, I hid in some bushes and saw Blueclaw on our territory."  
Ripplepelt swallowed. "I leaped at him and knocked him down pinning  
him on the ground."

Smokefoot had a puzzled look on her face, then nodded. "Did he say any-  
thing," she asked.

Ripplepelt nodded. "I questioned him why he was here, then he told me I  
would find out sooner or later, then through me off, and chuckled my clan  
will find out. Then he went across the border, leaving me there."

"Is that how you became unconscious?" She looked at Ripplepelt, then asked.  
"Are you hungry at all?"

Ripplepelt nodded. "Yes to both... but I landed hard against the forest floor and  
hit my head," she meowed.

Smokefoot made a grunt and then padded out of the den. "I will be right back...  
please relax and I'll get you a mouse."

A few moments later Ripplepelt heard a rustle of leaves and twigs as someone  
entered the den. She looked up and saw Pantherwing and she smiled at him.  
"I heard you brought me back to camp," she meowed. "Thank you."

Pantherwing shrugged. "Eh, it was nothing... your so light, have you been  
eating enough?" He asked her. "I think I can see your ribs too!" He  
poked her side, in a joking manner.

Ripplepelt purred. "I think I've been eating, yes, it's Green-Leaf! Of course  
I've been eating." She looked at Pantherwing. "Have you been eating a  
little too much?" She joked around poking his stomach.

Pantherwing flicked his tail against her nose. "Are you calling me fat?"  
He licked her head.

She winced. "My head hurts... I suggest you don't lick my head," she  
meowed painfully.

Pantherwing drew back his tongue. "Oh... sorry." He shuffled his paws  
around. "Err... I see Smokefoot put a cobweb on your wound."

Ripplepelt gave a tiny nod. "Yes... was it bleeding badly? It felt like  
it was..."

"I don't think it was bleeding that bad, but it was enough..." He  
meowed.

Ripplepelt sighed. "I don't want to stay in here... I want to get  
outside." She looked at Pantherwing. "Would you help me out?"

The black and white tom smiled and nodded. "Yes, sure. Just get  
up and you can... lean on me."

Ripplepelt got up onto her paws but she felt dizzy and almost fell  
but stumbled about.

Pantherwing put his tail around her body and pulled her close to  
him.

Ripplepelt could hear the blood pumping in her ears as her heart  
pounded nervously. She started to blush slightly. "Erm... I wonder  
where Smokefoot is with that mouse, she said she was getting me  
one..." She looked around for the medicine cat and saw her talking  
to Redstar privately.

Pantherwing's tail twitched. "They must be talking about what just  
happened to you... wait... what did happen to you?"

Ripplepelt purred. "It's a long story... and now really isn't the time to  
explain." Her whiskers twitched. "Maybe we can eat together."

Pantherwing smiled. "Yeah, sure that'd be romantic, I mean...err  
n-nice." He stammered. He nodded his head. "Yeah... that'd be  
nice." He flashed a crooked smile that made Ripplepelt giggle.

"Alright then, lets go get something to eat then!" She padded  
over to the fresh kill pile with Pantherwing's still around her  
body. "Uh, Pantherwing... I think you can let go of me now."

Pantherwing looked at Ripplepelt. "Oh, er, yeah, sorry bout  
that..." He meowed pulling his tail away and blushing.

Ripplepelt picked up a mouse and sat in some shade as the  
hot Green-Leaf sun beat down on the forest. "I'm surprised our  
river hasn't dried up yet... It's so hot."

Pantherwing meowed in agreement as he settled beside her  
with a big rabbit. "I wonder who caught this thing... it's huge!"

The light tabby she-cat purred. "Your lucky they found it. I think  
it's twice the size of a regular rabbit!" She took a bite out of her  
mouse. "This is a pretty juicy mouse." She murmured.

After both the cats finished their prey they settled down and started  
sunning themselves as the heat of the day passed and the sun started  
set. Ripplepelt saw the waves of red, orange, and yellow in the sky and  
murmured. "They sky is always beautiful when the sun sets..." She  
looked over at Pantherwing who was grooming his long ragged fur.

Pantherwing purred in between licks. "Yes, it always is," he agreed.

Ripplepelt settled back down until she heard several cat's paws thudding  
over to her. She pricked her ears and raised her head to see Creekheart,  
and two other warriors named Tansyfrost and Dustheart.

Creekheart was panting heavily. "R-Ripplepelt! We found something, you  
might want to s-see... it's about Snowtail!"

Tansyfrost nodded. "We found some of his blood on the forest floor... have  
you seen him recently?"

Ripplepelt jumped up and her eyes flashed in terror. "N-no... the last time I  
saw him was at sun-high... b-but, wait! I heard yowling when I saw Blueclaw  
he might have something to do with this..."

Pantherwing was now standing behind Ripplepelt shaking his head. "What is  
happening in this forest," he muttered.

Dustheart murmured. "Maybe we can get a search party out for him... to see  
if maybe he is still in the territory. Have some cats check the camp, I am going  
to see Redstar and let him know." He turned away and ran over to the Leader's  
den.

Tansyfrost bit her lip. "Whatever is happening... it's not good, there was a lot of  
blood out there Ripplepelt."

Ripplepelt felt a tear stream out of her eye and she blinked it away. "I'm not going  
to stop looking until I find him," she growled.

Creekheart padded over to her and rested her muzzle on her head. "Don't worry, I'll  
help you," she murmured in her ear.

Pantherwing stepped in. "I will too... I'll do whatever it takes to help you."

Ripplepelt and Creekheart looked at him with a confused glance. Ripplepelt  
flicked her tail.

Pantherwing blushed. "Oh, and uh Snowtail too... can't forget Snowtail...  
that's who we're, erm looking for y'know." He looked around and pointed  
his tail towards the leaders den and meowed. "I'd better, err, go help Dust-  
heart talk to Redstar." He bounded away.

Creekheart started purring but Ripplepelt just pawed her nose. "Alright lets  
go check the dens and the rest of camp to see if we can find Snowtail..."

A/N:

You can tell that there is a budding romance between Pantherwing and Ripplepelt!  
I don't know if Ripplepelt realizes that he is in love with her but, I guess she will  
later! You'll have to see what happens them in later chapters! Find out where Snow-  
tail has gone.


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter 3

Searching

Ripplepelt padded towards the warriors den to see if she could find any traces of Snowtail.  
She poked her head inside and saw Nightslash and Gingerpatch sleeping. She slid in the  
den silently padding towards Snowtail's nest. She scented it but the last time the deputy  
had been there was at dawn, when he had woken up to start patrols. She hissed quietly  
because she was so frustrated and made her way out of the den.

Creekheart padded over to Ripplepelt. "I just checked the nursery just in case he was  
looking at Brindlekit, but he wasn't and I also checked the Leaders den."

Ripplepelt glanced at Creekheart. "Why the leaders den? He's not the leader, he's the  
deputy," she murmured.

Creekheart smiled. "I know that mouse-brain. I was meaning maybe he might be talking  
to Redstar..."

"Oh... well we can check the Elder's den and the Apprentices den to see if he's there...  
maybe he took his apprentice out for training..." The light grey she-cat added.

Creekheart nodded. "They're worth a try... and erm Ripplepelt... Fieldpaw is over there  
eating with Applepaw and Wolfpaw."

Ripplepelt sighed. "I was just thinking of ideas... alright, I'll go check the Elder's den, you  
go check the apprentices den."

Creekheart nodded and padded off towards the edge of camp where the apprentice's den was  
and Ripplepelt waited until the golden spotted she-cat's fur had disappeared inside. She turned  
and padded the complete opposite direction of her clan mate and saw the three elders laying out  
trying to catch the last few rays of sun the sky was giving them.

Half-foot looked up to see her. His back left paw and been bitted off by a badger and he retired  
early because of it, but now he was the oldest cat in CreekClan. "Why, hello young miss... how  
can we help you," he croaked.

Ripplepelt smiled and flicked her tail on his nose. "You just lay down and relax there Half-foot, but  
I would like to know, has Snowtail been around here lately?"

"Why as a matter of fact, he has! He was talking to Blackleg earlier... sayin' he was proud of him  
and sayin' that he was honored to be taking on a role and he couldn't have ever done a better job  
than old Blackleg... but that felt like age's ago, probably around Sun-High." The old elder rasped.

Ripplepelt meowed. "Thank you Half-foot now you get a good rest and I'll be seeing you around,  
and if you see Snowtail tell him to come and find me," she added.

"Will do Ripplepelt..." He laid his head down on his paws and coughed slightly and fell easily into  
a deep sleep.

Ripplepelt smiled at the old tom. He was probably going to be called up for the ranks of StarClan  
soon especially soon with the cough he had. She looked across the camp and saw Dustheart  
coming back with his search patrol.

Dustheart was panting and he finally meowed. "We found some more scent marks from Snowtail  
but it was mingled... with... WinterClan, Ripplepelt, it looks as if WinterClan has taken him...  
tomorrow is the gathering, Redstar will probably mention it to them and if they have not taken  
him... I don't know who could have possibly."

Ripplepelt dropped her head. She stared at her paws and felt someone come up on her left side  
and she turned her head a little to see her other brother, Ashfall looking at her with sad, gloomy  
eyes. "We will find him," he murmured. She saw a couple of tears fall to the ground.

Ashfall licked Ripplepelt's head. "We will, I swear to StarClan that I will do whatever it takes to get  
our brother back." He looked to the sky. "StarClan, please watch over him," he whispered so that  
only Ripplepelt could hear him.

Ripplepelt had just noticed the sun had set and she had started to get her head-ache back after  
getting so frustrated she couldn't find her brother. "I'm going to Smokefoot and then I'm going to  
sleep... g'night everyone." She padded away from the group that had gathered there and she looked  
over her shoulder to see Ashfall, Creekheart, Dustheart, and two other warriors named Lilypelt and  
Firecloud staring at her.

She ducked her head and entered the medicine cat den hoping Smokefoot was in her den. She peered  
over a few clumps of ferns and saw some movement. She took one little step and a twig broke under her  
paw.

A head shot up from behind the ferns. "Oh, great StarClan! Ripplepelt, you scared me!" The medicine cat  
exhaled. "What do you want," she murmured padding over to her. "Do you need some herbs or something?"

Ripplepelt smiled weakly. "My head is really hurting... and I'm wanting to sleep. Is there anything you can  
give me?"

Smokefoot nodded. "Of course there is," she snorted. She hurried over to her collection of herbs and pawed  
some away until she picked up and leaf in her mouth and set it down in front of Ripplepelt. "These here are  
Poppy seeds... they will ease the pain and help you sleep."

Ripplepelt dipped her head and lapped up the seeds and began to chew them. She padded out of the den  
and looked up at the sky. She could see the stars and the Silverpelt. She smiled as she thought of her dead  
mother and father and she padded into the warriors den and saw many of the warriors sleeping. She slid into  
her nest which was beside Pantherwing's and curled up into it. She felt Pantherwing curl up around her and  
she felt comfort with his warmth. She smiled and fell into a deep sleep.

Thought's flashed into Ripplepelts head. Seeing Snowtail being dragged away by a mysterious cat. Blueclaw on  
CreekClan territory. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw the first of the dawn light streaming into the den. Ripplepelt  
sighed and thought to herself. 'Another day... let's see how this one goes.'


End file.
